1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for transferring defeathered birds suspended from the defeathering shackles on the defeathering line onto the eviscerating shackles on the eviscerating line in a poultry processing system having the defeathering line for removing the feathers of birds and the eviscerating line for removing the entrails of birds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the conventional transfer devices is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 216642/1983. This device utilizes a transfer conveyor consisting of endless belts respectively arranged adjacent the defeathering line and the eviscerating line for transferring the birds from the former to the latter line. This transfer conveyor includes endless belts having means comprising plate-like members having a plurality of slots to hold the legs of suspended birds and ejector means arranged at the point where the transfer conveyor and the eviscerating line come closest to each other for releasing the birds from the hanging means and allowing them to be received by the eviscerating line.
As a result, such conventional device requires a large space for installation of the transfer conveyor, which presents a considerable obstacle for making compact the entire bird processing system. Furthermore the hanging means on the transfer conveyor and the ejector required make the entire system too complicated and render its manufacture too time-consuming. Worse still, the lubricant oil for the endless belts may be transferred to the bird body via the hanging means, thereby presenting a serious problem from the viewpoint of food sanitation. Additionally since the ejector strongly presses the bird body, it may damage the skin or entrails of the birds, causing problems in the subsequent steps of the process.